OHIO STATEWIDE FILES OH-FOOTSTEPS Mailing List *********************************************************************** USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. *********************************************************************** OH-FOOTSTEPS-D Digest Volume 99 : Issue 247 Today's Topics: #1 Medina Co. History Part 5 [LeaAnn Rich Subject: Medina Co. History Part 5 Historical Collections of Ohio Henry Howe LL.D. As the last war with Great Britain had closed only three years before, there were plenty of officers who understood the handling of such bodies of men. Most families also had serviceable muskets, such as the laws of their respective States had required each able-bodied man between the ages of eighteen and forty-five to own. But still, there were not sufficient firearms to go round. Bayonets were mounted upon poles, butcher-knives and improvised lances were similarly mounted, and some carried axes, while many carried hatchets and butcher-knives in waist belts. It should be understood that the virgin forests of that region were of large timber, few with limbs nearer than thirty feet from the ground, and as there was but little underbrush in the forest, it was practicable to drive a team with sled, wherever there were no streams to interfere. Many of those from a distance came on sleds, and some reached the ground on the evening of December 23. Nearly six hundred men and large boys were on the lines at sunrise, eager for a start, for a few deer and turkeys had been killed before reaching the lines, and many had been driven in. Soon after sunrise the commanding officer gave the words, "All ready!" The words were loudly repeated around the lines to the right, and came round to the starting point in just forty seconds, showing a good organization. Many of the boys and some of the men were provided with horns and conch-shells, and most of them with sonorous voices. The signal to start was by the horns, shouts, etc. The captains and their assistants along each line kept their lines properly spaced (like skirmishers) and each line made its share of noise. In a few moments deer began to show themselves along all the lines, but were quickly fired upon. Many escaped, but about one hundred had been killed before the half mile limit had been reached; also a few turkeys. By previous arrangement, a general halt was made at the line of blazed trees, half a mile from the centre of the township. There was occasionally a large fallen tree, the top of which afforded hiding places for the bears and deer. All such within the circle were subsequently found to be occupied by these animals, too much frightened to show fight. Quite a number of dogs had been led by boys and men who did not have firearms. Deer were to be seen running in every direction within the circle, and occasionally a bear or wolf. The dogs, at a given signal, were released and soon created great commotion within the circle. The frightened deer made constant attempts to break through the cordon of men and boys, but most of them were shot upon nearing the circle. The officers constantly cautioned the men not to fire, except toward the centre. Finally, after the fire had slackened materially and upon a given signal, the most experienced hunters, previously selected, advanced toward the centre with orders to kill all the bears and wolves, if they could without endangering each other or those in the lines. They soon succeeded in killing most of those animals within the circle. Then, upon signal, the hunters climbed trees in order to make plunging shots and not endanger those in the circular line, who were ordered to advance upon the centre without firing, except after an animal had succeeded in passing through the line. A stream, now frozen over and with high banks, was soon reached by a portion of the line. An excellent hiding-place was afforded by this stream, and bears, wolves, deer and turkeys were found under the edge of its banks. As plunging shots could be safely fired here, a lively rattle of musketry took place, and most of the game there hidden was killed. The hunters in the central trees were now kept busy, and many with muskets and ammunition joined them as the line doubled and trebled in ranks by concentration. Finally, late in the afternoon the slaughter ceased, as the game was all killed. Most of the turkeys saved themselves by dint of their wings, but several were killed; one was killed by a farmer with a long handled hay fork, as it flew low over his head. Several deer were killed with bayonets, pikes, hay-forks, etc., while jumping over the heads of those forming the circle. Orders were then given to each line to return and bring all the game into the centre. The boys and old men had kept the teams well up to the lines, and these were brought into requisition where necessary. The first work in order was the gathering and scalping of the wolves, for their scalps had a fixed cash value (a $15 bounty, according to legend), and a trustworthy man was started with these (with horse and sled), to purchase sundry supplies. He returned before dark, and found over 400 men awaiting his coming. Over fifty of the men and most of the boys had returned home to do the chores. The game had all been collected at the centre and counted. A large bear had been dressed and prepared for a barbecue, and was being roasted when the man returned with the supplies. Said supplies were quickly set upon one head while the other head was as quickly knocked in with an axe. Tin cups were brought into requisition with surprising rapidity. Soon the fat was dripping copiously from the roasting bear, and one of the lively men, rendered extra frisky perhaps by the cheering nature of the supplies just partaken of, cut off a large chunk of the fat and run a muck through the crowd, oiling scores of faces in a hasty attempt to oil hair and whiskers. Bears oil was known to be specially beneficial for both hair and whiskers, and several others who had already tested its efficacy for a few minutes also sliced off lumps of the fat and showed a willingness to let all share in the benefits of the high-toned unguent. Within a very brief space of time every person in the crowd knew how it was himself, and every face glistened in the glare of the fires now blazing around the camp, for it had by this time become a full fledged camp for the night. Those who came prepared to stay all night had ample supplies of cakes, bread, salt, etc., and, with an ample supply of bear and venison meat, enjoyed a rare game feast as well as a night of hilarity seldom experienced, even during the lifetime of the average frontiersman. All accounts agree that, among that entire party, not one became intoxicated, but the old survivors (and there are several still living) say it was because of the honest whiskey made in those days. A beautiful Christmas morning dawned upon the jolly campers, who were soon visited by numerous parties from surrounding settlements, and some even from twenty or more miles away, who had come to see the game, and to spend a jolly Christmas, make acquaintances among neighboring settlers, and have a rare time generally. And they scored a decided success. A committee was appointed to make an equitable division of the game, which they did among the four parties forming the four lines that surrounded the township the previous morning. The few deer which were killed outside the township lines, while the parties were coming to their respective lines in the early morning, were not brought in, but were taken on the return home by those who killed them. An accurate enumeration of the game collected at the centre resulted as follows: seventeen wolves, twenty-one bears, 300 deer. The few turkeys killed were not taken into account, they being taken home by parties returning the first night. A few foxes and coons were killed, but were not taken into account. When a part of the line reached the frozen stream where the large accumulation of game was hiding, a load of buckshot in the shoulder and another in the leg, both flesh wounds, painful but not dangerous. There was no other casualty whatever. During the past fifty years the writer has read sufficient hunting literature to form several large volumes, and doubt whether there has ever been recorded so successful a hunt in America, or one so well planned and managed. -------------------------------- End of OH-FOOTSTEPS-D Digest V99 Issue #247 *******************************************